new to my 68 mustang

[6stang8]

ok welp im bout to get a 68 mustang with 10000 mile on orignal motor...i think its like a 230 or something, like the smallest engine put in 68 mustangs, im not sure. But ne way its all been restored and is gettin painted in like a metallic blue and the engine is all polished and really nice...i think its a 3 speed, its automatic and goes 1..2...drive...ok look im really new to cars soooo...treat me like i know nothing and i really want to get it going good.... alot of freinds are into racing and i am too...i had a truck but i cant pass this deal up...ne way what can i do to make it as fast as possible?? i race alot in truck so thats not new to me its just old cars and i got my dad to do alot of it but hes gone..dont ask where dont wanna talk about it.... but i wanna do it alone with a friend who builds engines and i just would like to have as many suggestions as possible...whats the highest horse power possible with this car?? i love to race just new to car racing so i want the best possible...thanks britt

[DiggerStang]

According to my Dad's old Automotive Encyclopedia manual, the smallest '68 'Stang engine was a 200 cu. inch inline 6-banger. In that case, you might be screwed. On the other hand, some '68 GT's came with a 390BHP 427S. Shit, that's sweet!

According to the Good Book, they also came with a 289, 302, 390- maybe others.

I don't know. 10K on the original motor? Polished and repainted? It must be expensive as hell!

[6stang8]

nope hahaha only 5,500 i got the hook-up!!! muahhahaha...fully restored also all facotory parts...but i dunno what sizeit is now...but ill i mean im gonna but something new under the hood..i know the engine is now small but im goin bigger....i want bigger and better and the best...just wanting on advice on what new engine would be good and what i could do to it...

[BigDanTheMan]

my advice to you is to do your homework. researching cars isn't difficult and it is a very manly past time. knowing your stuff will help you from doing something you'd regret in the long run. like popping in a 351 before you noticed that the only hood that would fit is ugly as sin. literature on mustangs is cheap and abundant.

[GTStang]

You want hp ditch the inline6 immediately. Small block Ford, Big Block whatever just get rid of the I6

[Tony H]

If you remove the inline six, all the lightweight falcon running gear has to be switched to the heaver versions. An I6 can be built for power and can be faster than a stock small block using the same investment (keeping in mind the cost of the new engine and running gear). The I6 is also bullitproof.
Going the V8 route:
If you want the most speed for least investment don't get anything less than a 351W. You'll be able to find the most parts for that engine.

I have a 67 with a 200. When I first bought it, I planned on dropping in a 390 I had, but decided against it. I'm building up the six.

[rerun]

351? i dunno, i like my 289 personaly... the engine is "little" i know, but it makes about just as much hp&tq as a 302 (minus like 5-10 at 350hp)- but its worth it, see the 289 has a good volicity and a smaller stroke then a 302 and 351, thus making it rev, a lot, so i like it, everything is at a higher rpm. and shes loud. real loud. i've herad 289s that i would have bet my life that they were 427s (no joke)..

[Tony H]

289 are harder to find though. Its just easier to get more horsepower out of a larger engine. Ture the longer the stroke, the greater the chance of failure, but I haven't seen that much. Btw, an I6 can be spun faster than a sb V8 more safely. I beleive you about the sound of some 289's. When I get my I6 inspected, the sound of it fools the mechanics into thinking its a small V8 until they pop the hood.

[BigDanTheMan]

is the 289 a completely different block then the 302? I was under the impression that they bolt up congruently.

[rerun]

they are the same block. exact same, just that the 289 stroke is 2.87, where as the 302 is 3 inches even. belive it or not it does make a a big diffrence. (this is my personal opinion though, a 302 is a great engine!)

and i REALLY like the I6 too. i mean they my not be major hp makers but they are tq monsters... and as Carol Shelby said "Horsepower sells cars, torque wins races."
and dude, i've heard a I6 mustang with glass packs, and i'll tell you something, that was MEAN soudning car, not sure what he did to the engine but man i though it was a 390. even ripped up the 235s pretty damn good too

[6stang8]

ok guys i really dont care about sound and weight....my freind has a firebird runngin 600 hp and i cant have him beating me...i need speed hp and torque... n one really told me if a bigger engine would be alot of fast cars or not... i need to know what engine i could get to gimmie what i want

[rerun]

u have A LOT to learn my friend..
fast= louder
fast=light
fast=Big Block

personily i wouldn't won't u drivin one though, givin the fact that u don't know how much the tq a BB can hurt ur neck..

[6stang8]

so what are u saying...no one has still given me a suggestion on what size engine to get and what i should do to it...i have a s-10 with a 350 in it so i know how to race no doubt about it but i need to know what to load up in this beast...like what would be best size for this car and wahts the biggest i could go to actually make it fit good?

[6stang8]

looks like im on my own...well i got my friend and his dad to help...thanx for....ummm....

[Tony H]

You should care about weight. If you both have the same hp and torque and his car is a few hundred lbs lighter, take a guess on which one will be faster. 600hp is a lot. I'm curious as to what he's running. It would be hard to get that out of a small block NA and keep it streetable. I"m not really up on superchargers or turbo. They might give enough. For the most hp stock, look for a 427 side oiler rated at 425 hp and 480 torque. Those numbers can be punched up but they are already prone to overheating problems. A 428 or BOSS 429 would also be good also, any FE block. The 400 and up blocks will fit but won't give you much room to spare. Some crate motors might do it, but I don't keep track of that really. The new 5.0 cammer is nice, but it doesn't put out what you want. No matter what expect to spend a lot to get that kind of power. Btw, thanks for giving us an idea of what you wanted this time. Don't build something faster than you can handle, you'll wind up getting yourself (or someone else) killed.
Rerun,
Inline engines sure do make a lot of torque. I was looking up info on ealy 90s Ford trucks (looking for a new one). Anyway, according to Ford itself, the 300ci six made more torque than the 302 V8 (I think it made 10hp less though) stock. Infact, nothing up till the 400 beat its torque rating. I hope to get my 200 cid up to about the 200 hp level. I just hope I don't lose the 25+mpg I'm getting now.